BHUBANESWAR: Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Minister Pushpendra Singhdeo on Saturday inaugurated eight projects in the Capital on the eve of Local Self Government (LSG) Day of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).

While the night shelter near Mali Sahi aimed at providing a cover to the homeless during winter has been developed at an estimated cost of Rs 35 lakh, a dispensary at Naharkanta has come up at Rs 14.7 lakh. Three projects at Dumduma, two multi-purpose community centres estimated at Rs 30.2 lakh and a crematorium at Rs 11.06 lakh, were inaugurated on Saturday. Street lights on the stretch between Hospital Square and Unit VI play ground along with a mast light at Dumduma were also inaugurated by Singhdeo.

Shopkeepers of Saheed Nagar market, who were displaced for construction of BMC-Bhawani Mall, were also rehabilitated. In the first phase, 47 shops and 48 ‘pindis’ were allotted to the displaced shopkeepers.

Foundation stones for recreation centres for senior citizens were laid at Jayadev Vihar and Patia. But, the foundation stone laying ceremony for the modern slaughterhouse at Gadakana, one of the major projects to be undertaken by the Corporation at Rs 6.4 crore, was postponed following protest by locals for over a week. A senior BMC official said the problem began after a rumour, that cows would be slaughtered at the facility, spread among the villagers. The locals began protesting construction of slaughterhouse stating that they would not allow cows to be butchered at Gadakana.

Corporation officials were hopeful that the rumours will be cleared before the inauguration, but lack of adequate planning marred the otherwise smooth series of events.

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